The attacks on INEC offices in Imo State have been denounced as “politically motivated” and called for an end.
Following a south-east state attack on the INEC headquarters that left five people dead, the governor made the remark on Monday at the Imo Police Command Headquarters in Owerri.
After the visit, he spoke to the media and declared, “If we correlate this with the events of the past, we have continually said that what is happening in Imo State is politically manufactured.”
“Some people don’t want the election, even though they believe they can win it.” How would they succeed now?
The general election is less than three months away, and Governor Uzodimma called the attacks a diversion for the electoral body.
In the event, two police officers died along with three of the attackers.
In a statement issued shortly after the incident, INEC’s national commissioner, Festus Okoye, claimed that “the attack affected the part of the building used by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department and one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) was destroyed.”
The premises and other assets of the Commission were spared additional damage thanks to the quick action of security and emergency services (the Fire Service). There was no destruction of important election documents. Additionally, no members of the Commission’s personnel suffered injuries.
After the earlier attacks on our Orlu LGA office on December 1 and Oru West LGA office on December 4, this is the third attack on the Commission’s facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks.
INEC says that the incident, which happened when people started getting Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in advance of the national election in 2023, was planned.